NEW YORK – Law enforcement officials on Long Island acted swiftly on Wednesday to debunk false social media posts claiming explosives were found in a car near former President Donald Trump’s scheduled rally in New York.
The misinformation about an explosive device started circulating hours before the Republican presidential nominee’s campaign event at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, right after a potential second assassination attempt on Trump.
Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder clarified that a person was detained for falsely reporting explosives, who was suspected of training a bomb detection dog near the rally site.
Lt. Scott Skrynecki mentioned the individual was a civilian, not associated with any law enforcement agency or the event. Thousands of Trump supporters were expected to attend the rally at the arena that previously housed the NHL’s New York Islanders.
This event marked Trump’s first rally on Long Island since 2017. In the 2020 election, President Joe Biden won over Trump on Long Island by a 4% margin, although Trump carried Suffolk County by a smaller margin.
Earlier in the day, Skrynecki and county officials swiftly refuted the false claims that originated from an online post by a reporter citing unnamed sources in the local police department. These claims were then widely shared on social media platforms, including X, by multiple influential accounts like that of Elon Musk.
“False,” Skrynecki confirmed in response to the spreading claims. “No. Ridiculous. Zero validity,” said Christopher Boyle, spokesperson for Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.
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